Basket weavers create 1,050 jobs in Upper East Region

Bolgatanga, April 1, GNA - The Bolgatanga Basket Weavers Co-operative Club (BBWCC) is providing employment to about one 1,050 weavers in the Bolgatanga Municipality of the Upper East Region. The beneficiary communities are Gambibgo, Yariga Bisi, Yorogo, Nyariga, Sumbrungu, Yekene, Zaare and Dalugu.

The Project Co-ordinator of BBWCC, Mr. James Ayamga made this known during the second annual General Meeting of the club in Bolgatanga. He said the communities started enjoying the support since September 2006 through grants from the Africa Development Foundation (ADF), a United States based non-governmental organisation.

Mr. Ayamga said the weavers who were predominantly women were provided with capital and capacity building skills in basket weaving in order to produce quality baskets for export.

Local exporters including Semak Company, Havilak Company, Paxtex Consult and Target Co-operation in the US patronise the products. He said BBWCC also gets support in the form of capacity building and technical advice from Development Solution Centre (DSC) and Mensah and Dua Company in Accra.

Mr. Ayamga commended ADF, DSC and Mensah and Dua Company for the support and indicated that their support had helped improved the lot of the basket weavers in the municipality.

He said many of the weavers who could not send their children to school because of financial constraints are now doing so. Mr. Ayamga stressed the need for the basket industry to be given the necessary attention and support, stressing that it is one of the best channels through which government could use to generate employment for the rural folks in the region.

He asked government to incorporate basket weaving into the implementation of the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority. Giving the financial status of the club, Finance Officer of BBWCC, Mr. Thomas Adigvom said the club targeted annual sales value of 66 ,046 Ghana Cedis between 2008- 2009 but got a total sale value of 24,805 Ghana Cedis and blamed the yield on poor prices at the local market. 1 April 10